Weld Fixture 101 – Locating Pins
To recap what was said in the video:
Pointer #1
You can buy your pins from a catalog or you can make your own. But don’t use the lock screw design for mounting your pin. We have found they don’t hold up to the hard use they experience in a weld fixture.
Pointer #2
Harden your pins. This makes it “harder” for the weld splatter to stick to the pin and easier, then, for you to get the part out of the fixture. In fact, it is good practice to always harden those components that touch the product parts. You can surface harden, called “case” harden, or you can full harden, which hardens the part all the way through. Purchased pins are already hardened.
Pointer #3
If possible, mount the pin from the bottom with a screw. If you can’t mount from the bottom, another best practice is to cut a whistle cut (an angle cut) into the base of the pin. Then use a set screw to hold it in place.
Pointer #4
When using locating pins in two holes in a product part, use a round pin in the first hole and a diamond pin in the second hole. The diamond pin will allow for some tolerance variations between the holes in the product.
When I say, round pin, it doesn’t mean that you can’t cut off some surfaces of that round pin as discussed in pointer #5.
Pointer #5
Other cuts in the pin make it easier to remove the product parts from the fixture. Square cuts or triangular cuts work well and still have sufficient pin surface to locate the product.
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